Friday, May 17, 2013

Fifteen-year-old Izzy Brannick was trained to fight monsters. For centuries, her family has hunted magical creatures. But when Izzy’s older sister vanishes without a trace while on a job, Izzy's mom decides they need to take a break.
Izzy and her mom move to a new town, but they soon discover it’s not as normal as it appears. A series of hauntings has been plaguing the local high school, and Izzy is determined to prove her worth and investigate. But assuming the guise of an average teenager is easier said than done. For a tough girl who's always been on her own, it’s strange to suddenly make friends and maybe even have a crush.

Can Izzy trust her new friends to help find the secret behind the hauntings before more people get hurt?

Thoughts:
I am a big, big fan of Rachel Hawkin's previous Hex Hall books and was delighted when she decided to feature the formidable Brannick clan as the main characters in her new series. The Brannicks were supposed to be this family consisting mostly of female members whom are feared by the paranormal community because of their hunting skills.

However, I am so sorry to say that eventhough I do find myself liking Izzy who is the main protagonist in this book, the story is just not up to the mark. The first time Izzy was introduced in the Hex Hall series, she's a mere 12 year old who can definitely kick ass. Now she's a confused teen with an abnormal upbringing who is forced to enrolled in a high school to help her mother solved a haunting. With her older sister; Finley disappearing after a mission gone wrong, the Brannicks are only reduced to Izzy and her mother; Aislinn.

I'm missing the funny, sarcastic undertone that Sophie has. Izzy is a more serious person since she's being trained to be a Prodigium hunter since she was born. Most of the time I'm wishing that Sophie will make an appearance in this book but sadly she was only mentioned in the beginning. There are certainly light hearted moments with the bewitched warlock; Torin who becomes a mentor of sorts to Izzy and also her motley group of friends who called themselves the PMS short for the Paranormal Management Society. The ending felt kind of rushed and truthfully I think how the mystery was unravelled left me a bit confused. I'm really hoping that the next book will be a lot more exciting and that we get to find out about Torin's background.

Verdict: 3 stars.In my Books in a Series and Fantasy Reading Challenge